The Global Catastrophic Risk Institute (GCRI) is a startup think tank leading research, education, and professional networking on global catastrophic risk. GCRI research aims to identify and assess the most effective ways of reducing the risk of global catastrophe, as well as the issues raised by global catastrophic risk. GCRI education aims to raise awareness and understanding about global catastrophic risk among students, professionals, and the general public. GCRI networking aims to build community between researchers and professionals in other sectors so that the best GCR ideas can be implemented. This broad approach of research, education, and networking aims to identify how a variety of different people can get involved in GCR and to create opportunities for them to do so.

Global catastrophic risks (GCR) are risks of events that could significantly harm or even destroy human civilization at the global scale. GCRs over the next century include nuclear warfare, climate change, pandemics, and artificial intelligence. The study of GCR is highly interdisciplinary, involving contributions from across academia. Likewise, translating research insights to effectively inform risk-reduction decisions requires active collaboration between researchers and professionals from many sectors of society. GCRI’s research, education, and networking is designed to synthesize the breadth of GCR research and present it so that it can be put to use.

GCRI is led by Seth Baum and Tony Barrett. GCRI is grateful for funding from Saving Humanity from Homo Sapiens and Jaan Tallinn. For more information, please contact Seth Baum at sbaum [at] psu.edu or see sethbaum.com/research/gcr